Swettenham Stud

Bianconi's winning weekend rolled on Sunday when his son You Gotta Pay won the HK$625,000 Sports & Recreation Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Sunday.

With champion jockey Douglas Whyte in the saddle, You Gotta Pay just behind the leaders for much of the sprint race before coming with a perfectly timed run to edge out High Return.

The three-year-old gelding, trained by former Aussie John Size, was making his debut in Sunday's event and kicked away his career in style.

Raced by the Fun Loving Syndicate, You Gotta Pay is from the city winning Lunchtime mare Food of Love.

The dam of seven winners from eight runners, Food of Love is a three quarter sister to Chipolata and half sister to Dance Beat.

Bianconi had a super weekend with Pacino leading the way with a strong finishing win at Flemington on Saturday.

The Clinton McDonald trained gelding earned a trip west to contest feature races over the Perth Summer Carnival.

Also in Victoria on Saturday the promising three-year-old Geegee Ryder scored a strong win over 1200 metres.

In Darwin consistent gelding Aventine scored a dashing win in his first start for new trainer Michael Hickmott.

The OTI managed galloper had placed at his previous four runs in Victoria for Mick Price.

On Tuesday the promising filly Fair Look scored an outstanding debut win for Mick Kent at Kyneton.

A day earlier the Bianconi mare Coronation Diva made it back to back wins when successful for Jason Warren at Sale.

Bianconi gelding Pacino booked a trip to Perth for their summer carnival riches when he finished too well for his rivals in the National Jockey Celebration Day Victoria Plate (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Prepared at Caulfield by Clinton McDonald, Pacino reeled in the leader Red Buttons in the final hundred metres to score an impressive victory.

McDonald said the gelding, who was most effective on top of the ground, would get his chance to become a stakes winner when he heads west for a string of feature events.

He is unsure whether he would have another run before a break with the Perth trip in mind.

"We'll see how he pulls up," McDonald said. " We'll probably be dictated by the weather."

"I'm probably going to head over to Perth in October and November with six or seven horses and he will be one of them."

McDonald has always held Pacino in high regard and he has already proven himself a galloper of black type quality with a stakes placing.

Pacino, by Swettenham Stud based sire Bianconi, is one of three stakes performers from the good producing mare Yarra Dreaming.

A daughter of Nassipour, Yarra Dreaming is also the dam of the stakes winner Honest Politician and Flemington stakes placegetter It's You.

From the latest Swettenham newsletter.

"Is the Breeding Industry out of sorts with some parts of the Australian economy? The car trade is an industry which in many cases parallels the thoroughbred industry. Generally we are dealing with a luxury item. Spending in tough times seems to affect this industry first and foremost.

Some tax incentives in asset purchases have obviously helped coming up to June 30th. However, some car dealers we have as clients are reporting the best May figures in 3 years and June looks like being the best June selling in 4 years.

It would be a terrible indictment on our industry if we have exacerbated the downturn by indiscriminate dropping of stallion fees on stallions that did not need to be decreased; hence causing a loss on capital invested by breeders in those stallions ....."

To read the rest of this article in our latest newsletter click here .